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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. root — of a plant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — for pool
  14. branch — a division
  15. file — a line of people
  16. plane — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bank — of a river
  20. snap — to click
  21. root — the cause
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. root — of a word
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com